Thermal processing torches, such as plasma arc torches, are widely used in the heating, cutting, gouging, and marking of materials. A plasma arc torch generally includes an electrode, a nozzle having a central exit orifice mounted within a torch body, electrical connections, passages for cooling, and passages for arc control fluids (e.g., plasma gas). A swirl ring can be used to control fluid flow patterns in the plasma chamber formed between the electrode and the nozzle. In some torches, a retaining cap can be used to maintain the nozzle and/or swirl ring in the torch body. In operation, the plasma arc torch produces a plasma arc, which is a constricted jet of an ionized gas with high temperature and sufficient momentum to assist with removal of molten metal. Power used to operate plasma arc torches can be controlled by a power supply assembly of a plasma operating system. The power supply can include a plurality of electronic components configured to control and supply an operational current to the plasma arc torch, the gas flows provided to the plasma arc torch, and, in some cases, motion of the plasma arc torch.
Some plasma arc torch consumable components require different gas pressures to be provided to the torch by the power supply based on their operation, purpose, design, etc. For example, plasma gouging operations typically use a significantly lower pressure plasma gas than some plasma cutting operations. This means that a variable gas pressure regulator, either manual or auto-adjusting, is traditionally used to adjust the gas pressure in the power supply system. Such regulators can be complex and unreliable. Additionally, manual adjustment, for example, by an operator, can also be prone to error by which the operator incorrectly sets the plasma gas pressure for a particular consumable or operation.